300 OF CROPS USUALLY CULTIVATED. 



perhaps no more expence. An active improver, (Mr Alex- 

 ander Guthrie), states, that in his attempts to raise the car- 

 rot, with hardly any exception, he has succeeded beyond 

 expectation. For working-horses, he knows no food equal 

 to carrot, and of this he has had complete experience. 

 Were the growth of carrots general over the country, and 

 used as food for working-horses, he is of opinion, that two- 

 thirds of the oats consumed for that purpose might be sa- 

 ved. In years of scarcity, this would be of great advantage 

 to the nation, and a blessing to the poor. 



Mr Butterworth, who rented some land near Edinburgh, 

 to carry on the cultivation of carrots, informs me, that he 

 tried that root for seven years, upon the same ground, with- 

 out dunging, and with great success, and he had one year 

 twenty acres, which he sold at 5d. per stone, and two acres 

 and a half, for L. 60 sterling, without being at the expence 

 of drawing them. He ploughed the ground in October,* 

 in the common and ordinary way ; in March he ploughed 

 it again in the same manner, and harrowed it well, and 

 where it was sheltered, he sowed the seed immediately after 

 the harrowing, that the weeds might not get a start of the 

 seed, which is of great consequence. The drills f were 

 made at one foot asunder. He then rolled the ground with 

 a heavy roller, drawn by two horses ; when the rows ap- 

 peared, he run the Dutch hoe betwixt the rows, and hand- 

 weeded the rows, leaving the plants four inches asunder ; 

 in about three weeks after, he weeded a second time, and 

 kept them very clean. In October, he cut off the tops with 

 a scythe, and raised the carrots by ploughing the ground 

 in the ordinary way, as many as were required ; but where 



* In other parts of the kingdom, autumnal ploughing is found much 

 to increase weeds, and to add to the expence of hoeing, 

 f Drilling has been tried in Suffolk, but did not succeed. 



